Datang's ships entered the Atlantic Ocean and Datang established embassies in Europe and consulates in various countries.
Along with the diplomats of the Tang Dynasty entering Europe, a large amount of military equipment from the Tang Dynasty also entered Europe, arming various European armies to resist the Tatars.
These ordnance were transported on Tang Dynasty ships.
Therefore, the large-scale entry of Tang ships into the Atlantic Ocean was directly related to the Tatar attack on Europe.
At that time, Europeans valued the Tang Dynasty's steam ships, which were not affected by seasons and ocean currents. They could travel to and from the Atlantic Ocean all year round. In order to quickly obtain a large amount of ordnance from the Tang Dynasty, they recognized and supported the Tang Dynasty's ships entering the Atlantic Ocean.
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However, many things become uncontrollable once they begin.
At least it's not something Europeans can control.
At first, they were just ships transporting ordnance, but soon ships carrying other cargo also entered the Atlantic Ocean, shipping directly from South Africa to European ports.
After the Tang Empire established a colony on the eastern coast of North America, it even entered and exited the Atlantic Ocean openly.
This not only turned several agreements signed that year into waste paper, but also brought another very important impact.
That is the Tang Dynasty merchant ships in the Atlantic Ocean. With their larger tonnage and speed, lower operating costs, and more importantly, they are not affected by monsoons and ocean currents. They can go to sea and travel to and from various sea areas at any time throughout the year.
Not to mention that these maritime merchants of the Tang Dynasty also directly controlled various goods from the Tang Dynasty and the coasts of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Not a few years later, as the merchants of the Tang Empire drove merchant ships into merchant ships and went directly to ports in various countries, they almost monopolized the maritime trade from South Africa to Europe in the Tang Dynasty.
Not to mention other impacts, on the west coast of Africa route from Europe to South Africa, the merchant ships of the Tang Dynasty have basically become the merchant ships of the Tang Dynasty. It is almost difficult for the merchant ships of other countries to compete with the merchant ships of the Tang Dynasty.
When there were more Tang merchant ships on this route, in order to protect the Tang merchant ships from the threat of pirates, the warships of the Tang navy also began to patrol and escort.
As a result, the Portuguese became very embarrassed.
The port is obviously their port, but most of the ships coming and going are Tang Dynasty ships. Not only merchant ships, but also warships will go in for rest, replenishment and even permanent residence.
There is another thing that makes the Portuguese even more uncomfortable!
And the merchant ships of the Tang Dynasty didn’t like to pay taxes!
According to the current common concept in European countries, when ships come to their own ports to berth for rest and supplies, even if they do not conduct transactions in the port, they will generally be taxed based on the tonnage of the ship or other methods.
However, the Tang merchant ship did not do this!
Because in the Tang Dynasty, the subject of taxation was not the ship itself, but the transaction of goods.
Therefore, when ships of the Tang Dynasty enter and exit ports in China or overseas territories, except for merchant ships returning from China, the goods on them must pay import duties. Otherwise, goods on merchant ships engaged in domestic transportation generally do not need to pay import duties.
Because these goods are generally taxed when they leave the factory, during the transportation stage they are only taxed based on the shipping revenue of the shipping company. When the sales stage is reached, sales companies, including distributors and retailers, are taxed.
However, there is no need to pay any tax when ships transport goods into the port.
Usually only port service fees are charged.
But the tax systems of other countries are obviously different from those of the Tang Dynasty. The Portuguese usually levy taxes based on the size of the ships in the ports of these overseas colonies.
Here comes the problem. The Tang Dynasty's ships are generally too big, so the tax is not small.
Therefore, the merchants of the Tang Dynasty were very resistant.
The empire doesn't even tax them, how dare you barbarians tax us?
Although the various taxes in the empire are not so direct, and are mainly invisible taxes, which are often very high in amount, the empire has a tax inspection team.
Therefore, in the areas controlled by the empire, the merchants of the empire are willing to pay taxes. After all, the tax department is too awesome.
But overseas, you barbarians and natives actually want us gentry to pay taxes? Damn you, you think you are a tax inspection team!
Come on, fire!
Teach these natives what Chinese etiquette is!
Before the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the maritime merchants of the Ming Dynasty had never had the consciousness to pay taxes. After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the maritime merchants of the Tang Dynasty were naturally well-behaved at home, but they still had no consciousness of paying taxes overseas.
Especially after merchants generally equipped steam-armed merchant ships, they became even more indifferent to the natives.
The Portuguese discovered sadly that as this route got older and more prosperous, the taxes collected by the ports along the way became less and less!
If they collect taxes by force, they will start firing within minutes, and sometimes even warships from the Tang Dynasty will come over to administer justice!
In the end, I had no choice but to turn a blind eye.
All of the above gave the Portuguese a very special feeling for the colonial ports on the west coast of Africa.
They know that these places are important and can bring great benefits.
But the problem is that they haven't gotten enough actual benefits from these places.
So when diplomats from the Tang Empire asked if these colonies could be sold, they were honestly a little tempted.
Of course, the premise is to obtain sufficient income.
Only if they have enough money will they be tempted.
Because they had money, they were able to continue to arm their troops to fight against the Tatars in Europe, and they also had the money to build their colony in Brazil in South America.
Whether it is the Portuguese or the Spanish, their royal families and nobles have already begun to consider a retreat.
If the Tatars cannot be stopped in Europe, they will not stay to die, but will run to America.
The Spanish had Mexico and the Inca region, while the Portuguese had Brazil.
On the other hand, France and other continental European countries had no choice but to resist the Tatars.
There is no rush to buy a colony. Even the Imperial Navy, who raised the matter, has a mentality of success or failure.
Anyway, the Portuguese are like that in Africa. If the Imperial Navy wants to enter or exit any Portuguese port, is it possible that they dare to refuse?
Compared to the western coast of Africa in the Atlantic Ocean, the Imperial Navy now wants to find a more stable naval base directly near the Strait of Gibraltar, one that can allow the Imperial Navy to better control this strategic link from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
The narrowest part of this strait is only 13 kilometers. If a fort is built, the current range of large-caliber rifled cannons is enough to block most of the sea area. If a fort is built on both the north and south banks, it is enough to completely block the strait.
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If a fleet is deployed here, the scale does not need to be too large. It can directly block the strait with the cooperation of coastal defense forts.
Although the Tang Empire currently has little interest in the Mediterranean, the Imperial Navy is interested!
The Imperial Navy's interest comes from their preference to build forts at every strategic point and then control them.
Because compared to directly controlling the huge ocean, it is simpler, more economical, and more effective to directly control important straits.
And controlling the Strait of Gibraltar directly controls the passage of the entire Mediterranean Sea into and out of the Atlantic Ocean, which has many benefits.
This is not the first time that the Imperial Navy of the Tang Dynasty has done something similar. In fact, many military bases or forts of the Imperial Navy of the Tang Dynasty overseas are built in similar strategic locations.
For example, the Imperial Navy attaches great importance to the Strait of Malacca. This strait is already regarded by the Empire as the frontier of strategic maritime defense.
Control of this area, together with the Sunda Strait, would be enough to completely defeat any enemy fleet launching an attack from the Indian Ocean.
In addition to these strategic points close to the empire's mainland, the Imperial Navy also established a very large naval base on the island of Ceylon to control the Indian Ocean.
A naval base and forts were also established in Hormuz in the Persian Gulf to control the Persian Gulf.
It also established a naval base and forts in Aden to control the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
It even included the Tierra del Fuego area at the southernmost tip of South America, which Europeans have not yet set foot on. Europeans call it the Strait of Magellan. The Tang Dynasty Navy saw the importance of this place as it was the only passage between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (unfortunately,
(circling the Indian Ocean), so in the early years, we organized manpower to go to this place and set up a base.
However, the natural environment here is relatively harsh, so the current base is still relatively small.
The Tang Navy was keen on controlling strategic arteries everywhere, and the Strait of Gibraltar was naturally not outside the plan.
Of course, the people responsible for this moment are naturally not the big shots in the mainland. It is just a small strait in Europe, and there is no need for those people to worry about it.
The advancement of this matter has always been the responsibility of the Seventh Fleet, or more accurately, the European Fleet under the Seventh Fleet.
Cadiz, Spain, the Embassy District of the Tang Empire in Europe.
In the embassy area, there is a three-story reinforced concrete building more than ten meters high. This building is the headquarters of the European Fleet of the Imperial Navy.
Major General Ren Zian is working in his office at this time. What he is looking at is an official document sent by the Seventh Fleet Headquarters. The official document states that the headquarters will dispatch the cruiser Xinjinshan and two frigates to join the European Fleet's combat sequence.
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However, this is not a reinforcement of his troops, but a normal rotation!
At that time, a cruiser and a frigate that had been serving in the European fleet for a year will be transferred back to South Africa for maintenance.
Since Datang's current strategy is all about steel and steam warships, the maintenance requirements for warships are relatively high, and there is actually no way to maintain them in many places overseas. Therefore, the Datang Navy can only adopt this rotation policy.
Let the warships be repaired in some large naval bases that can maintain wars. Once repaired, they can be dispatched to perform tasks in various sea areas.
Currently, the Tang Imperial Navy does not have any ports that can provide maintenance for steam warships in European waters, so it can only return to South Africa for maintenance.
In overseas territories, some of the navy's large naval bases can be considered the only places in overseas territories with a variety of modern machinery and equipment. This is a decision that has to be made in order to provide maintenance for the navy's warships.
As for other places, it is still very difficult to find a screw.
After the new ship arrives, I have to start my plan, and I can't delay it any longer!